The fairground complex was the largest Great Depression era Works Progress Administration architectural project in Durango.  The site served as a fairground since the late 1800s. 

Talus Village is one of only three excavated Basketmaker II sites in Colorado, and the extent of wood preservation at the site allowed for the first complete understanding of Basketmaker II pithouse construction.  

As Durango’s first educational facility dedicated solely to junior high classes, the building served as the city’s only junior high school from its construction in 1937 until a second junior high opened in 1961.  

The 1890 Rochester Hotel represents a working class hotel / boarding house typical of the type that catered to tourists, salesmen and long term tenants less affluent that those attracted to Durango’s more elaborate and expensive hotels.

The circa 1884 wood frame house, of Victorian eclectic design, is an early example of residential construction by Animas Valley settlers.  Very few homes from this early settlement period still exist.

With its corner tower, steeply pitched multi-gabled roof, and prominent decorative porches, this 1890 building is an important local example of the Queen Anne style.

Construction began in 1891 on this three-story sandstone commercial building, which is the only expression of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Durango. 

Constructed in 1884, the house is an example of residential construction by early Animas Valley settlers who established farms and ranches during the late 1870s and early 1880s.  This unusual farmhouse is one of a few remaining from this period.

The bridge is associated with the development of transportation and commerce in southwestern Colorado, having served as part of the Denver & Rio Grande rail route between Durango and Alamosa.

In 1880, Durango was platted by employees of General William Jackson Palmer of the Denver Rio Grande Railroad.  East 3rd Avenue, known prior to 1893 as the "Boulevard", remains a prestigious residential area located along the bluffs overlooking the downtown commercial district.